Spartans down Juab in region thriller

The region 12 football game played at Emery High School last Friday night featured two teams fighting to keep a favorable position in the upcoming 3-A state football play-offs. Emery came out on top in this thriller of a game 28-22.

Going into the games last Friday, Juab and Manti were tied for first in the region with 2-0 records, Delta and Emery were tied at 1-1 and Richfield and North Sanpete were tied at 0-2. After the Friday games, Manti is 3-0, Emery, Delta and Juab are 2-1 and Richfield and North Sanpete are still winless. First and second place in region 12 will host a play-off game while third and fourth will travel north to probably Juan Diego and Morgan, neither a friendly venue for visiting teams. Fifth and sixth place teams will stay home and miss the play-offs.

After the Spartans punted on their first two possessions of the game, Emery got their act together and scored on each of their next three series. On Juab's second series, the Wasps fumbled the ball and Emery's Seth Scovill recovered on the Juab 44-yard line for good field position. On the third play of the series, senior halfback JT Noyes went outside to the right and scored on a nice 41-yard run. After an incomplete pass on the extra point attempt, Emery led 6-0.

Emery then held Juab to two yards in their next series and forced a punt. Emery started the next drive at their own 38-yard line and would score in five plays. The big play of the drive was a nice run by Kashe Potter after making a catch of a Derek Tuttle pass with the play covering 47 yards. Taylor Cox would score his first touchdown of the night on a 10-yard run to end the drive. Noyes ran in the point after attempt and Emery led 14-0.

As the second quarter started, Emery would start their next drive on their 30-yard line and would score again after a seven play drive. Taylor Cox picked up 14 yards to get the drive going but the big play of the drive was a 34-yard run by Noyes again. Noyes was tackled at the 12-yard line but a penalty on the tackle by Juab gave Emery first and goal at the 6-yard line. Cox would then go in for the score and after the extra point was no good, Emery led 20-0.

Juab finally got their offense going and would score on their ensuing drive as they marched down the field from their 25-yard line to score on a 24-yard run. Juab's drive was an 11 play drive and after they added two points on the point after, Emery led 20-8 going into half time.

In the second half, each team would have the ball for four series after each team had had the ball for six series in the first half. With only seven passes attempted in the second half, the game clock would just keep ticking off time which led to the fewer series.

Juab wanted to come out in the second half when they would receive the kick-off and score quickly to get back into the game. Emery was ready though and after allowing the Wasps to pick up one first down, forced them to punt on a fourth and six. Emery received the punt and started their drive at their own 19-yard line.

Cox got Emery started with a 15-yard run followed by a pass from Tuttle to Tanner Procarione with the play covering 39 yards. Noyes would score his second time of the night on a 22-yard run. Emery now led 28-8.

Juab would score on their next two series as they put drives of 43 yards and 70 yards together to make the game uncomfortably close for Emery. After the second score Emery led only by six points in the close game. Emery got the ball with just over four minutes left in the game and managed to run out the clock as they kept the ball on the ground for 10 plays.

Emery had 303 yards of offense in the game with 95 yards coming through the air and 208 yards coming on the ground. Noyes led the way with 108 yards on 12 carries while scoring twice. Taylor Cox had 61 yards in 11 carries and also scored twice. Colton Fasselin picked up 25 yards on seven carries from the fullback position he shares with Corey Hansen. Hansen rushed the ball five times for 14 yards.

Juab picked up 255 yards of offense in the losing cause. Juab turned the ball over twice, once on a fumble and once on an interception. Emery had a fumble that they lost. Potter had the interception to end Juab's first drive of the game. Emery now travels to Delta this week to play the Rabbits in another must win game to keep their home play-offs game hopes alive. A loss would almost surely send Emery north for a road game.